I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 23

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I’m a Mother-in-Law, But I Don’t Want Family Conflicts Episode 23

“The winner will receive a Special Sword crafted by House Layton’s blacksmith! And the top scorer will receive… White Thread Stirrups, bestowed only upon prized horses!”

“Wooooah!”

The sword from House Layton was something I had requested from Helene in advance, and the stirrups were taken when the Late Duke’s prized horse vacated its stall. Surely after taking away the horse, I could give away this one item.

I heard that elegant stirrups worn by horses are a soldier’s dream.

Sure enough, when the rewards were announced, the audience’s cheers doubled.

‘So far, everything’s going according to plan. Now then…’

“We will now begin the 1st Masked Martial Arts Tournament! For the first match, Sir Squishy Slime and Sir Savory Pig’s Feet! Please come up!”

The tournament had finally begun.

‘The atmosphere is pretty good.’

Thanks to the unexpectedly amazing rewards and the funnier-than-expected costumes and nicknames, the tournament atmosphere had ripened to just the right level.

“Oh! Sir Pudding Bear loses a point! He accidentally rolls on the ground!”

“We all know you’re Sir Billies! Come down already!”

“Ahaha! How did you think you could hide that build with a disguise!”

Following my commentary, people laughed and chattered noisily without discussing rank.

‘Is this what MCs who host events feel like?’

It was a fresher experience than I expected. I could somewhat understand why people who’ve tasted celebrity life can’t take other jobs.

“What do you think about this match, Count?”

Watching the bear knight being toyed with by the knight wearing a puppy mask, I handed the megaphone to the Margrave.

Taking the wooden megaphone imbued with sound-amplifying magic, he continued the commentary.

“I acknowledge that Sir Pudding Bear’s strength is impressive, but his movements are clumsy. It looks like special training awaits him after this is over.”

“Special training! Hahaha!”

The sight of the Margrave saying ridiculous nicknames with a serious expression was also good entertainment.

When the audience clutched their stomachs laughing, the Margrave seemed satisfied and handed the magic megaphone back to me. It would be convenient to have two, but we only borrowed one from the Main House.

Before we knew it, the preliminaries had reached the final match. After confirming that the spectators had written down their guesses about the identities on slips of paper and handed them to the servants, we continued with the match.

“Now then, let’s proceed with the next match. Including whoever wins here, a total of eight people will continue to the quarterfinals. So our final contestants – Sir Duck from the Swamp! And Sir Fairy with Pie Hat!”

As if he really came from a swamp, a ridiculous knight wearing grimy military boots and a duck hat stepped into the arena.

A fairy wearing an uncomfortable-looking large pie helmet followed. The duck knight also looked funny due to his crooked wings, but he was better off than the fairy.

The knight wearing a towel with colorful glass beads attached to his back, pretending to be fairy wings, and donning a pie-shaped helmet that must have been 50cm in diameter, had the most uncomfortable costume among all the participants so far.

‘That’s Nata.’

Honestly, when the children recommended that outfit to Nata, I hoped Nata would choose different clothes.

I had tried on that pie helmet once myself, and due to the enormous amount of cotton wrapped around the leather helmet, the vision was stifling, there was no ventilation, and it even made me short of breath.

Competing while wearing that was pushing it too far.

But Nata answered that he would wear it. The reason was simple.

‘Because the children made it for me.’

He said he wanted to repay the children who respected him as a knight for their recommendation.

‘He’d forget about that kind of thing if you just bought him a snack.’

While Nata’s earnestness made me sigh, the atmosphere had certainly livened up thanks to that pie helmet.

“Haha! Who’s that one now?”

“Is that Sir Helton? But didn’t he already come out earlier?”

“Or maybe it’s Sir Boily…”

“Then my prediction would be wrong!”

What was funny was that Nata’s name didn’t appear among their guesses.

They probably thought he had been eliminated earlier, or wouldn’t participate in the tournament with such a penalty.

“Then we’ll begin the match between Sir Duck from the Swamp and Sir Fairy with Pie Hat!”

When I announced the start of the match, the two contestants briefly bowed to each other. Then they each drew their weapons… and when they saw Nata’s weapon, chuckles erupted from the audience.

“What? He’s going to fight with that?”

What he was holding was none other than a chef’s tool set that children might use.

It was a toy with a small kitchen knife without a blade, a large ladle, bread tongs, and measuring spoons tangled together on a crude ring.

It was a toy for noble children, and after seeing the kids sword-fighting with the kitchen knife, I had jokingly recommended it to him as a weapon.

I naturally thought he would refuse, but he accepted readily as if he had gained some enlightenment.

‘The performance is dramatically good, though.’

I didn’t say it, but honestly, I was anxious. No matter how skilled Nata was, could he win with such a toy?

His opponent was using a practice sword with a dull blade, but it still had the same appearance as a regular sword. It was obvious what weapon he was accustomed to.

I wasn’t the only one who thought this. The duck knight snorted and provoked Nata.

“The mood may be quite festive, but you’re arrogant. Do you think you can beat me with such a toy? I don’t know who you are, but this…”

Before he could finish speaking, Nata leaped toward him in one swift motion.

“Gasp!”

The startled duck knight hastily swung his sword to block Nata’s charge, but Nata dodged the sword with bizarre body movements like a circus performer. Then he thrust the ladle he was holding at the guard who had dropped his defense.

The ladle stopped at the tip of his chin. As the duck knight, surprised by the quick surprise attack, let out a gasp, Nata spoke in a forcibly high-pitched voice.

“How to Make Delicious Pie Rule 1! Don’t do other things when ingredients are in front of you!”

“What, what?”

“Rule 2! Even when making small pies, give it your all!”

Then he stepped back two steps and held the ladle like gripping a sword.

“Fairy’s Pie Making, begins!”

…And at that ridiculous line, the audience began to burst into laughter.

“Wahahahaha!”

“What’s that now? Who’s doing that?”

“That’s interesting! It must be a cooking test, not a match!”

Most of those laughing were soldiers. Caught up in the entertainment, they seemed to think Nata’s words and actions were simply a type of event entertainment.

On the other hand, the atmosphere among the knights was quite different.

As if they had noticed something strange about Nata’s movements, those who had been laughing and chattering began to focus.

‘They must have realized that surprise attack wasn’t just luck.’

Watching the previous matches, I had developed quite an eye for it too.

Whether it was a talent of ‘Wilhelmina’s’ body, or if I originally had good judgment. As I watched the matches, I could roughly tell who was stronger and which side had the advantage.

This match was decided by that one surprise attack exchange just now.

The Duck Knight cannot defeat Nata.

“Now, will he fall for the Pie Fairy’s provocation-! The Duck Knight raises his sword and charges!”

The Duck Knight swung his sword fiercely. He must have felt what I had seen as well.

Perhaps to shake off the premonition that he would be defeated, he swung his sword mercilessly, filled with rage…

“The winner is- the Pie Fairy!”

The match went exactly as I had expected.

What would be the way to gain recognition from the audience in sparring?

While the two people in the match can guess each other’s abilities, the watching audience finds it difficult to gauge a contestant’s skill unless they have exceptional discernment.

Ordinary sparring couldn’t prove Nata’s abilities to them.

That’s why a show was necessary.

‘Those two really gave it their all!’

If you show a convincing spectacular match, the audience will respect the loser while being amazed by the winner’s skill.

‘It’s a system borrowed from entertainment shows.’

The audition shows I watched in Korea were similar.

At first, you’re interested in the battle between masked singers, then after watching their performance, you’re amazed by their vocal abilities.

After confirming the face of the defeated person, infinite curiosity turns toward the winner.

‘What could be the identity of the person who beat such a singer?’

You anticipate what kind of match they’ll show next, and at some point, you find yourself cheering for the contestant whose identity hasn’t been revealed.

There’s one more element needed for this kind of show. Namely, proof that the defeated contestant gave their all.

‘There probably aren’t many adults who would make pathetic excuses like ‘I actually wasn’t giving it my all-‘ but the audience’s acceptance is important.’

This means the role of the supporting character who loses is also important. That’s why, while ordering Nata to win, I gave him several more pieces of advice.

Even if there’s a big difference in skill, he shouldn’t win overwhelmingly.

A moving victory was needed. A victory so moving that people would remember it for a long time even after the event was over.

“With this, the semifinals are over, and the final two have been decided! Both contestants, step forward!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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